What to Expect from Apple's Big Event on September 9th

The iPhone 6 is almost guaranteed but what about the iWatch?

By Melissa Grey

Now that we know for sure that Apple’s big event is happening on September 9th, the rumor mill is churning faster than ever. It’s pretty much accepted as gospel at this point that the company is gearing up to unveil at least one new iPhone, but optimistic rumors abound about other potential product announcements, chief among them the long-awaited iWatch (for lack of a better, wittier name) and a deluxe sized iPhone. By combing through the massive heap of speculation and possibilities culled from perusal of some of Apple’s latest patents, a picture begins to form about what one might expect on Apple’s big day next week.

While we don’t really know anything for sure, much of the tech world would bet the farm on an official unveiling of the iPhone 6, especially following the announcement of iOS 8 at WWDC in June. And since Apple is nothing if not a hot commodity, leaks, some more credible than others, have been plentiful in the past few weeks. Images of what’s purported to be the device’s casing have popped up all over the internet, and if we take them at face value, then we might have a pretty good idea of what the next iPhone will look like.

The iPhone 6 is expected to be Apple’s largest iteration of its flagship device thus far with a 4.7 inch screen that’s likely designed to compete with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S5 and HTC’s One M8. But that’s not even the biggest iPhone we might see on September 9th. While it’s not yet clear if Apple is planning on launching the devices together, leaked photos of an even larger model have also surfaced. Depending on the source, the phone might be called the iPhone Air or the iPhone 6L, but the as yet unnamed device will probably be around 5.5 inches, a form factor that fills the void – apparently there was one – between the iPhone and the iPad Mini. As seen in these photos from Sonny Dickson, the device will maybe come in a color scheme similar to the 5S’s gold, silver, and dark charcoal options.

Image credit: Sonny Dickson

The internals are more ambiguous at this point. According to Laptop Magazine, the iPhone 6 might come packing a brand new 64-bit A8 chip, which would make it the first of its kind to bear a quad core processor. If the graphic card is equally as impressive, then it’ll be interesting to see how it stacks up against an increasingly tough market.

Another common rumor is that the iPhone 6’s display will be Apple’s strongest yet. The extra tough sapphire crystal seen on the iPhone 5S’s Touch ID button might come into play, though whether or not a full screen made out of the material will be as indestructible remains to be seen. Marques Brownlee claimed to have gotten his hands on an iPhone 6 screen and tested out its durability. You can check out the video below.

In terms of resolution, we can probably expect an improved screen from both models. A recent report from 9to5Mac claims that the 4.7 inch version of the iPhone 6 will have a 1704 x 960 resolution display. The phone’s larger sibling might have a resolution as high as 1920 x 1080, but so far there’s little to support these figures aside from rampant speculation. While it’s unlikely that the resolution won’t see a bump after the size increase, the iPhone 5S’s 1136 x 640 display might make a reappearance. Anything is possible, folks.

We can also look forward to an improved battery experience, with some reports saying that the iPhone 6 will cut down on charging time by up to 30% compared to the 5S. Though there are a few discrepancies among the rumors, Apple Daily reports that the 5.5 inch version will have a 2195 mAh battery while the smaller model might fall into the 1800 to 1900 mAh range, according to BGR. A bigger battery is of course needed to support the larger displays.

Image credit: Apple Daily

Apple’s recently filed patents and acquisitions provide a look into the direction the company might be going in – and that’s a pretty big might. Remember, the existence of a patent is hardly a guarantee that the technology will be incorporated into any new devices soon, but that hasn’t stopped the buzz from growing around possibilities like NFC support (a long-awaited feature) and a liquid metal design (a rumor supported by Apple’s acquisition of Liquidmetal Technologies in 2010), though the former is more certain than the latter at this point. There’s also been talk of a reversible USB cable, but only time will tell if that’s something we’ll see with the next crop of iPhones.

Image credit: Laptop Magazine

We know even less about a potential iWatch, and the rumor mill for that device seems to be driven largely by wishful thinking and flimsy leads. Some of iOS 8’s features have led many to believe that Apple’s wearable device will have a focus on health and connectivity with other devices (beyond the iPhone). Price-wise, the most bandied about number for the wearable is $300, though that’s to be taken with a healthy grain of salt.

Style has always been one of Apple’s strongest selling points, and a few recent hires like Patrick Pruniax of Tag Heuer and Yves Saint Laurent’s CEO Paul Deneve make us think that whatever the iWatch looks like, it’ll likely be one of the sexier iterations of a wrist-worn device (though there isn’t a whole lot of competition on that front). We don’t know for sure if we should expect a curved glass design or even what shape or dimensions an Apple wearable might come with, so consider us on tenterhooks until an official announcement. For a company under such constant scrutiny for even the most minor leaks, Apple’s played this one remarkably close to the chest.

If the iWatch announcement does come in conjunction with the new iPhone(s), then it’s still likely that the device won’t be available for some time yet. As far as the 4.7 and 5.5 inch iPhones are concerned, we can expect those much sooner, if Apple sticks to its pattern of September launches. Stay tuned and we’ll keep you posted as more news rolls in.

Melissa Grey wears Green Lantern pajamas to bed and writes stories for a living. She can be found on MyIGN at MelissaGrey or lurking on Twitter @meligrey.